The Silver Lining in Every Cloud
by MiraiMangaka
Summary: There's a silver lining in every cloud. That's what they say, anyway. I just don't see it in this cloud. Not Slash/Yaoi/MM UNDER RECONSTRUCTION!
1. Prologue

**Yes! I know! There are enough of these out there! Make it stop! *Gag cough die* Well, I wanted to do this... again... Shut up!**

**This will be completely in first person. There will be no switching perspectives, like you see in some other stories, sometimes, even the professional ones *cough*twilight*cough*.**

**Anyway, yeah. I did some heavy proofreading this, and it's really just an introduction to the main character. I hope people enjoy. Leave a review after you've read it!**

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Once upon a time...

Okay, really? You want me to start off with that? How about no? I'm gonna try something else. Hold on... give me a moment...

Ugh... I don't know. Where should I start? I guess with who I am. My name is Evelyn. My grandmother on my father's side was named Evelyn, so I was named after her. Also, I have oculocutaneous albinism, or at least, that's what the doctor calls it. My hair is bleach blond, almost white, and my skin is very pale (very sensitive to sunlight) so the name fits since it means light. My dad had wanted to name me Michelle, and I'm kind of glad they didn't.

Anyway, it was a Wednesday, if I remember correctly, when I had a check up with my doctor. I was having some unusual pain in my back. It had started a weeks ago when I started rereading one of my favorite stories, _The Lord of the Rings_. It had been steadily getting worse.

I arrived at the doctor's office and signed in as per the usual. I sat down amongst several other patients. One girl with blond hair was sneezing and coughing up a storm. One young man looked like he was going to fall apart any minute. Another man looked like he couldn't wait to be out of there, and I couldn't help but empathize with him. I just wanted to hurry up and get it over with. I took at my book and began reading when that awful pain came back.

The man who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there noticed my discomfort. He suddenly stood up and sat next to me. He had a pleasant smile on his face, with his dark hair and grey eyes. I was a little unnerved by his approach, but I was in too much pain to care.

"Lord of the Rings, huh?" he said, motioning to my book. "Who's you're favorite character?"

"Uh..." With a little effort because of the pain, I thought about it for a moment. "Don't really know. In the book I guess I like Aragorn, but I like him more in the movie." The man scoffed.

"I prefer Boromir," he said with a grin. "He's just awesome. It's a shame he died so soon."

"Yeah, he's okay," I said with a shrug. "He just seems rather, I don't know, stuck up to me. Not that Aragorn is any better in the book, but yeah. I definitely like how they portrayed them in the movies."

"Ah," he said simply. "Well, do you have a least favorite character?"

"Arwen," I answered immediately. He looked at me funny. "And not because I like Aragorn, but she didn't do anything throughout the entire book! Or the movie really, and they made her out to be this uberly important character."

He laughed. "I guess your right."

"Luthien would have to be my favorite female character out of everything," I said. "She totally kicks ass. Unlike Arwen who didn't do a cotton-pickin' thing!"

"I get it you have a point," he laughed. I smiled. His laugh was nice, I noted.

"What about you?" I asked. "Who's your least favorite character?"

"Aragorn," he replied. It was my turn to scoff.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons," he said mysteriously. I huffed.

"Fine then, don't tell me," I pouted playfully.

"Are you flirting with me?" he laughed.

"No," I replied. "I don't think I am."

"Well, I think you are," he said with a mischievous grin. "So that means you are."

"I'm sorry," I said turning serious. "I didn't mean to flirt." He looked pretty disappointed.

"All right," he said. "I accept your apology." Then he mumbled. "Though I'm still disappointed."

I bit back a laugh when they called my name, which was weird cause he had been here before me. I ignored it and went into the office. For me, someone who was known to have serious medical issues since birth, even the slightest bit of pain could mean something awful was up. So, they checked me out. All my vital signs were normal, and they didn't see anything wrong with my back. They asked if I had been using proper body mechanics, and although I said I had, they advised to have my boss inspect my posture while working.

Once we were done, "We'll do some heavier testing later," said my doctor before sending on my merry way. I had expected as much since it was rather busy today, so I left with that.

I got home and continued to read my book, my pain coming back harder than ever before. Suddenly, I gagged. _Not good!_ I ran to the toilet and ended up vomiting everything I had eaten for lunch that day. It was pretty bad. I prayed that it was just the stomach flu and not something more serious and life threatening.

Once I was finished, I decided to lay down in my bed and rest a little. I didn't even get out of my bathroom before my cell rang.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, Eve, how did the doctor's visit go?" asked a feminine voice on the other line. It was my mother.

"Not good, they couldn't find anything, so they're going to do some further testing," I replied. There was a moment of silence.

"Do you want us to come down?" she asked suddenly. The entire family down here in Miami? You're probably thinking, _oh it's just the family._ Ah ha, you don't know my family. I'm the oldest of ten children! In fact, I was the only one in my family that was born without a twin or a triplet for about seventeen years! Do you even realize how embarrassing that would be? With every single child here? Yeah sure, some were teenagers, but teenagers, I think, are worse than toddlers. Diapers and tantrums were okay. Driving is not. When I have kids... No, _if _I have kids, they are staying toddlers forever!

"No, mom, it's okay," I said. "It's just a pain that comes and goes. I fact, I bet it's just my muscle cramping."

"Okay, if you think so," she said uneasily. "You take it easy."

"I will mom, thanks." I heard over the phone mom yelling at one of the kids. Yes, I am the oldest of ten children. My mom was a triplet, and my dad was a twin. So naturally, it's in their genes to have twins or triplets. After me, I was about seven when my mom had the triplets. All boys, and all looked alike. There were some differences if you looked at them, but it still confused my parents, especially when they would trade names. Since I was almost always with them, though, I could always tell. So they never try to play that one on me. Another five years later, mom had the twins, one boy and one girl, fraternal twins. They were a bit more on the... uh... nicer? side compared to the triplets who were loud and obnoxious (still). Then my mom had another set of triplets three years later. All girls, all identical, and, again, I was one of the few that could easily tell them apart. They didn't pull the stupid pranks their older brothers would play, so if my mom or dad got them mixed up, they would just correct them.

Last but not least, two years after the triplets, the last child was born. Not twins, not triplets, just one child, and the last, mom got her tubes tied after him. I guess he was my twin, although we looked nothing alike as babies. He's eight years old right now, and I love him to death. I was at that age of maternity for most girls, and although he wasn't my kid, it felt like he was, and he followed me everywhere once he could walk.

When I left home, I think he cried the most. When I call, he's always trying to yell at mom and get her to let him talk to me. It's so cute. He's the only one of my siblings I sorely miss. Yeah, I have plenty of babysitting experience. It was kind of why I got into the profession I'm in now.

After I got off the phone with mom, I finally got to relax and enjoy the rest of my evening. I laid down on my bed and pulled out my book one last time. I got through one page before the pain returned full force. Not being able to focus, I put the book down and tried to get some sleep.

It wasn't until nine o'clock that the pain finally receded, and I finally fell asleep.

* * *

I got up early the next morning, since I had work that day. There was no pain in my back, which I was grateful. I was one of the C.N.A.s at one of the local nursing homes, and as such, it was my responsibility, for today, to get residents up and ready for breakfast. Today, thankfully, I had an eight hour shift, which was rare, and so it was practically a day off for me. Getting up at five in the morning to be there at six was sleeping in compared to the usual. Normally I had twelve to sixteen hours of work, so this was a big deal.

I got dressed in the usual scrubs. It was a Monday so I didn't have much of a choice in color. Blue and white were the standard... oh joy...

I got in my car and revved up the engine. My '89 toyota Camry roared to life, and I could hear the engine moan and groan as it woke up from it's chilly slumber.

"Don't complain to me," I told it. "I haven't had my coffee yet." It groaned at me some more. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll talk more on the way back."

Winter in Florida was cold, but cold was defined as 50 to 60 degrees rather than the bellow freezing you get up north, so I had a light sweater on, and that kept me warm for the most part. I had just gotten out onto the road when I got a call on my cell from work. I let out a sigh as I looked down at my accursed phone.

"Oh please, oh please, oh please, let it be that I do not have to come into work today," I prayed, knowing full well it was futile. Hampton was overly populated and under-employed despite it's five star rating.

"Hello?" I said. I was greeted by the overly cheery voice of Amanda, one of the registered nurses.

"Hey, Lyn!" she said. If there was ever a time I wished I was deaf, it was now. "Sara called in sick, probably partying too hard, can you cover the rest of her shift? It's only another four hours. James is covering the first eight, and since he wasn't really supposed to come in today, we were hoping you could stay after he left."

_Ah geez! How could I refuse? _"Sorry, Amanda," I replied. "I have important plans tonight, and I can't cancel them." I could almost see the smile disappearing off her smug face.

"You have plans on a Monday?" she laughed, much to my embarrassment. "Forgetting momentarily that it's a Monday, the fact that you have plans at all truly astounds me."

_That's right,_ I thought bitterly, _this is Amanda I'm talking to. Can't talk to her without being harassed on some level._ "Yes, as it just so happens, rumors of my non-existent social life are greatly exaggerated. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get off the phone so I can drive. Thank you!" That said, I hung up the phone and lightly tossed it into the passenger side seat.

I made a left turn onto the highway towards the north part of the city. Miami was a pretty large city, but I had lived here all my life and knew it like the back of my hand. I loved it here. Despite how hot and humid it would get. I had visited my grandparents every now and again who lived up in New York. Once when I was younger, my family visited them for Christmas. It was snowing. I can remember hating my friends for making me look forward to a white Christmas. It was then that I had decided I hated snow.

It was during my senior year of high school that both of my grandparents died. It made my graduation very sad, especially since I was the oldest of their grandchildren. They had been really looking forward to see me graduate. My grandfather had been in the army during World War 2, and that was how he met my grandmother, whom I had been named after. It was your typical romantic story. My grandmother had been a nurse, and had been doing a checkup on grandpa. They instantly fell in love and got married about a year after the war ended.

It was their story that had helped me decide to become a nurse in the first place. I wasn't quite a nurse yet, but I was on my way with classes and all. I hoped to find my own soldier boy and live happily ever after like they did. Times had changed, however, since then, and men now were not like the men then. I was looking for a man that existed almost sixty years ago. Even then, they were pretty hard to find. Grandma Evelyn got really lucky.

I'm not going to say that _I_ was perfect. Hell no! I've made my share of mistakes and had already lost my virginity to a boy who had promised me forever, but only stayed a month. I've gone out drinking and did my time making flat out foolish mistakes. The key was learning to accept them and move on.

This morning, however, I would probably live to regret. I didn't look out before making another left turn off the highway.

After that it was all a blur. A big eighteen wheeler ran right into my little car. Luckily, it was not going full speed. Still, twenty-five miles an hour can really do some damage. When I heard the crushing of glass, I knew my car was done for. I think I hit my head on the wheel, I can't rightly remember, cause everything went dark. I vaguely heard the sound of sirens some time later. However, soon all sound was gone, and nothing but pain remained.

_Evelyn Anderson was taken to the hospital that morning. Her life was saved at the last moment, and she remains in a coma. Doctor's say that she will remain in a coma for the rest of her life._

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**This is short, but it's the prologue... sort of... There will be more. I had actually planned on putting this and the next chapter together, but I couldn't stop, so I made this one _really _short. The next one will be longer, I promise.**

**Rated for violence and language and possibly idealogical sensitive material. Stop reading now, if you are not mature enough to handle it.**


	2. Middle Earth

When I came to, I fully expected to be lying on a hospital bed, possibly hearing the faint sounds of the heart monitor and feel an IV in my arm. I even thought I might have some bandages wrapped around my head or something. Nope, instead, I heard the sound of birds chirping nearby and was lying face down in some soft grass, and I could smell blood mixed with it. My body ached, but not as bad as my head. I tried to get up, but that was quickly ruled out as something I could do. I then voted to roll over... which I somehow managed, very painfully.

I kept my eyes closed because I could vaguely make out the sun shinning brightly on my face. If I opened my eyes, it would probably hurt and possibly make me pass out, and I definitely didn't need that happening. I reached for my forehead and immediately felt something wet and sticky. Head wound, not good, could mean trauma. I needed to get that taken care of right away. I gently opened my eyes just in time to hear someone cry out.

"My lady!"

Who's lady? I thought angrily. Last I checked I was nobody's lady. I was hardly a lady. Besides, who spoke like that anymore? I looked to my left to see an older man leaning over me with a worried expression on his face. I squinted to get a better look at him. He had shoulder length dark hair and grey eyes. His clothes were strange, but I hardly noticed them. I was in a lot of pain.

"Who are you?" I asked. My voice was hoarse and itchy. I needed water.

"I am Boromir," he replied. "Do not move. I will try my best to bind your wounds."

Wounds? I had more then one? Great.

"I need water," I said.

"Of course," he said. I ignored the fact that it was from a leather flask as he poured it gently into my mouth.

"Use it to clean my wounds," I said when I was done. He nodded and poured some of it on my head.

I closed my eyes and let him clean me up a little. His name, I noticed, was not normal to put it simply. Boromir was a name from one of my favorite stories, _The Lord of the Rings._

"Boromir?" I said.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Is that really your name?" I asked.

"Indeed it is," he said. "And what is yours?"

"Evelyn." That would explain the crazy getup I saw him wearing.

"That is a wonderful name for a beautiful woman," he said.

"Thank you, Boromir isn't half bad either," I replied. Even though our roles were reversed, I went into my C.N.A. mode. This man, "Boromir," was obviously confused, but he wasn't harming himself or anyone else with his delusion, so it seemed okay to go along with it.

"That is very kind of you," he said.

"So where are you from?" I asked. Part of my C.N.A. training was to start conversations with patients, get a feel for their mental state.

"Minas Tirith of Gondor," he said. "You?"

"You might not have heard of it," I replied politely, still going along with his delusion. "I'm from Miami, Florida."

"Indeed I have never heard of such a place. Where is that located here in Middle Earth?" he asked. I tried to remember the maps I had seen of Middle Earth. Where could I say that it was located that made sense?

"It's not in Middle Earth," I said, deciding to be honest.

"Then where is it?" he asked. Oh great, if I tried to explain where it was, I would be the one sounding like the lunatic.

"No where that you could get to," I said simply, hoping that he would let the subject of where I come from drop. I looked away from him for a moment. "I've never been to been to Minas Tirith. What's it like?"

Boromir began to describe in detail the city of Minas Tirith. In fact, the detailed description "Boromir" was giving me was far more detailed that even Tolkien's portrayal of it, which made me a little worried. Was this man really that delusional? I looked back at him and studied him carefully.

"I have never seen such strange clothes," said Boromir. "Your hair is brighter than an elf's hair. Yet you are human."

"Yeah," I said not really listening. For someone who was a little confused, he sure spent a good amount of money on his costume. He was wearing mostly leather with chain mail underneath. He also wore a fur cloak clasped by two silver leaves. The red shirt under the leather was lined with gold and there were gold stars covering the sleeves. Perhaps I was the one going crazy. After all, I had just been in an accident and should be dead.

Most people, I knew, would probably try to tell this poor man that he was not actually Boromir, and that Middle Earth doesn't exist. I, however, had been dealing with confused patients for most of my career. I knew that as long as he wasn't a threat to himself or anyone else, it was safe to go ahead and go along with it to a certain extent.

"I have your head wound wrapped to the best of my abilities," he said. My hand reached for my forehead, and I could tell that wasn't much.

"Can you help me sit up?" I asked. I felt some minor bruising on my legs and arms, but just because they were mild, didn't make them hurt any less.

"Of course, if you think you'll be okay," he replied as he put his arm underneath my shoulders and lifted me up. I immediately felt dizzy and caught myself on him. "Are you sure you are well to be sitting up?"

"Yeah," I said, trying to make the world stop spinning. Perhaps I had lost more blood than I thought.

"Please, you should lie back down," said Boromir

"No, I'll be okay," I said. I let go of him and sat there, blinking a few times to make some black dots go away. He said nothing more, but he had a worried expression, which made me uncomfortable for some reason.

"Okay," I said once I felt settled. "No offense, but I'm gonna try and rewrap the bandages."

"I am not offended," he said. "My abilities in the healer's art are few at best."

_Well, at least he's honest._ I quickly rewrapped my head bandage which felt like fur. Did he rip off some of his cloak? As soon as I was done, I reached to pull off my scrub top.

Boromir's face reddened. "Pardon me," he said as he made to escape. I grabbed his arm.

"Oh no you don't! You're gonna play nurse with me for a while," I said seriously. "I'm gonna need to describe to me what you see on my back and other places I can't see. This means that you're gonna see me naked."

"This is hardly appropriate!" he exclaimed. I couldn't blame him.

"Well, I'm not an owl. I can't see what's on my back, so I need you to look for me," I said. It seemed perfectly logical to me, but he probably wasn't used to finding women lying face down in the grass with a gash on their heads.

"What on earth happened to you?"

"Long story," I said. "Look, I don't want to try and walk somewhere for help."

"Then I will carry you!" he cried. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't know what else is wrong with me, and you carrying me might only do more harm then good."

"This is not pertinent!" He tried to worm out of it.

"Am I really that ugly?" I asked seriously.

"No..." he replied hesitantly.

"Then you should have no problem looking," I said with a sly grin. "Look, it's just my back. You don't have to look anywhere but there." This seemed to relieve him a little.

"Must you take off your shirt?" he asked. "Can I just not look for you under the shirt?"

"No," I said. "I have to take off my bra. Plus I have to see what damage has been done to my front." His blush returned full force, and I tried not to snicker. Sure it was weird to have a total stranger look at me naked, but I had a lot of medical problems in the past. So this was really no big deal for me. Poor Boromir, really. I wasn't really giving him an option to chose otherwise. He let out a sigh, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to have to be my C.N.A. for awhile.

I began to remove my shirt, and he looked away, clearly embarrassed. I bit back a laugh and removed my bra. My body really hurt, so I was moaning and groaning a little. I let out a shallow breath when I was done.

"Okay, please tell me what you see," I said. He looked back at me and focused solely on my back. His brows were drawn together as if he was trying very hard to block out everything else. I chuckled a little, but quickly regretted it when I felt pain run straight through my body.

"What should I be looking for?" he asked hesitantly. Poor guy, this was a total stranger in front of him. I didn't really know him all that well, either, especially how he was around women. All I knew was that he cared deeply for his country and its people, and that he was more like the men of Rohan than the grim men of Gondor. I remembered the movies, and compared to Rohan, Gondor was a dark and gloomy place, despite the brightness of the White tower of Minas Tirith.

"Just for scratches and bruises," I said. "Especially around the center, near the spinal cord."

"There are a few scratches along the sides," he said, "and there is a bruise at the top close to your neck, but it's very light. Barely noticeable."

"Okay," I said. I was looking at my chest, and I saw bruising, of course, in the places where the seat belt had been. "Thanks, and can I get your help for one more little thing?"

"Of course, my lady," he answered with a bit of a gulp of anticipation. I quickly put the bra back on and held it up for him on my back.

"Can you clip this real quick?" At first, he didn't respond, and I was afraid he would say no. Suddenly, I felt trembling hands take the straps and clip them in place. I let a smile spread across my lips. I quickly put my shirt back on and checked my legs for damage.

"Okay, so I've pretty much got a pretty bad gash on my head, and some bruises and scraps," I said. "I feel a little sore, but that's probably from being tossed around. I wish I had some Ibuprofen."

"What is that?" he asked.

"Ibuprofen is a type of pain killer," I replied. "Excuse me, Lord Boromir, but could you tell me where we are?"

I'm not sure why I asked. "We are just east of Rivendell. I was just on my way there." I should have guessed that he'd say something like that.

"I don't know if I can walk," I said. "I'm really sore."

"What happened to you that hurt you so? Were you attacked?"

"No, I wasn't attacked," I replied. "I was just in a really bad accident." It was then that I actually looked around. Where was my car? Where was the road, the passing cars? What the hell was going on?

"Let me help you," he said. "If you can not walk, I'll carry you to Rivendell. It's not far."

"Oh, no, that's okay," I replied a little frightened. I had no idea where I was. Did someone carry me away from the wreckage? If they did, how far? Was this "Boromir" really just a creep trying to freak me our? Well, he would be pleased to find out that I was freaking out, but I didn't want to let him know.

"Please, I insist," he said.

"No," I said. "I think I can do it." _Please let me be able to walk. Please let me be able to walk. Please oh please oh please let me be able to walk. _There was no way I was going to let him carry me, not if he really was a creep. Plus, I didn't want him to hurt himself, and I wasn't exactly light weight. Sure I had been on a diet, but there was a reason I was.

He helped me up, and it hurt, but it was a bearable hurt. So I thought. When I found myself in Boromir's arms, I let out a protest, but I was quickly silenced by the smile on his face. For a creep, he had a really nice smile.

"It is no trouble," he said. "You are light, and Rivendell is not far. You have been injured. It is best that you do not stress your body anymore." _So much for being honest!_

"If this is payback for striping in front of you," I muttered. Then I realized how hard he had fought with me about stripping in front of him. Duh! If he really was a creep, then why wouldn't he want to look? Evelyn, you are an idiot!

"Do you find being in my arms so uncomfortable?" he asked. I tried not to squirm.

"No..." I said. _I guess not..._

"Please let me assist you. I insist," he pleaded. "You have been severely injured, and I feel that all I have done so far has been insufficient."

"Well, when you put it that way," I mumbled getting comfortable. I subtly breathed in his scent. It was musky, and smelt like the forest. For someone who was confused, he sure smelt nice.

* * *

I awoke with a start, partly because I realized I had fallen asleep in Boromir's arms, but I was not in Boromir's arms, I was in a soft bed. Not a hospital bed, just a regular bed, and an unusual room, but I hardly noticed. I wasn't sore or anything either. Instinctively, my hand reached for my head. There were some fresh bandages, and it didn't hurt when I touched them. I hadn't been drugged, cause I was fully alert, not even a little bit of grogginess.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You are in my house," said a voice. I turned to see a man very elegantly dressed in the similar style as Boromir. More confused people? Or Convention? I wasn't sure, but for costumes, they were really well made. Another movie maybe? But that was about as likely as my actually being in Middle Earth.

"Are you Elrond?" I asked. Boromir did say we weren't far from Rivendell.

"I am," he said. "You are Evelyn. Girl from another world."

"Yeah, wait, what?" I stared.

"I foresaw your coming," he said calmly. "The Valar saved your life moments after your accident, and brought you to Middle Earth. They want you to do something here, I believe, and I can guess what that is."

I was silent for a moment. "What?"

"The only way for you to go back," he said, "is to destroy the Shadow in the East. A long time ago, a Maia by the name of Sauron wrought war upon the free lands of Middle Earth. Does this story sound at all familiar?" I nodded numbly. _What?_ "The Shadow of Sauron currently holds power over your body in your world, as I have been told. If you wish to return, you must help in the fight against Sauron. If Sauron prevails, your body will die, and you will remain here forever, and if he is destroyed, then you will return to your world and recover, remembering none of what has happened here."

"What?" Elrond could see the confusion in my face.

"I shall leave you alone for awhile," he said. "You need time to let this sink in. I shall send in one of my servants to get you ready for dinner. We were to have a special meeting this morning, but you were more hurt than I thought you would be. Please rest. Dinner will be served shortly." He paused for a moment. "Boromir has been fairly worried for you. He would not tell me what had occurred between you two, but he's asked that he come see you, if you wish."

I merely stared at him for awhile. I quickly shook out of it. If I was allowed to process what he had just said... My real self was in a coma. Did that mean this was all a dream? Was none of this real? I pinched my harm, hard. When it hurt, I knew this was no dream. This was crazy though. How did this work? This was like some poorly written fanfiction.

My thoughts strayed to my family leaning over my unmoving body, worrying to death about whether I would make it or not. It was so unbelievable, but at the same time, it explained a lot. The room was not like anything I had ever seen before. Not even the movies came anywhere close to this.

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Yes, I would like to see Boromir." I owed him an apology. I had thought he was crazy when it turned out that I was the crazy one.

"I will send him in then," said Elrond, smiling at the fact that I was starting to accept strange facts. I could worry and fuss over the fact that I was in a place that didn't exist, or at least was thought not to exist, but that didn't change the fact that I was here. Throwing a fit wouldn't help my situation.

_I think, therefore, I am._

After a few moments of silence, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I said and the door opened to reveal Boromir, who seemed relieved to see that I was doing okay.

"They were going to have a meeting today, but cancelled it because of you and I," he said.

"I'm sorry," I said in return.

"Do not be. It is not your fault."

"Thanks for worrying about me," I said. I felt so awkward talking to a man that I had thought was confused and crazy. I owed him an apology, but none came about.

"It was only natural," he said. "I suppose. I've never really tended for someone else other than my brother."

"Ah, yeah, I've noticed with patients I've helped, I get a little attached to them," I noted. "So it's always sad when someone moves on or passes on."

"Is that so?" Yep... still awkward. He was a seasoned warrior, about 40 years old (though he looked about thirty), and I was a slightly skilled certified nursing assistant who had been hoping to become a real nurse someday, just barely over 25. Pretty much nothing in common.

"You didn't do to bad for someone who hasn't had much practice," I said.

"Thank you," he replied. "Were you a nurse where you come from?"

"Sort of," I said. "I help the nurse, but I was going to classes to become a nurse."

"Ah. Well, I was impressed," he said. I nodded.

"Thank you," I replied. We were silent again.

"Anyway," I started when there was another knock on the door. "Come in!" I called. Another man, much older than Boromir, came in. He wore a grey pointed hat and old grey robes. Gandalf was the name that came to my mind.

"If you do not mind, Boromir," he said with a friendly smile. "I would like to borrow your lady companion for a moment."

"Of course, Gandalf," Boromir said politely.

"I guess I'll see you at dinner," I said. Boromir smiled at me.

"Yes," he said simply. With that, he left leaving Gandalf and I alone. I let out a little cough.

"Uh... please... sit down," I said. As he did, he smiled at me.

"You're name is Evelyn, am I correct?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know why you are here?"

"Elrond kind of explained it to me, but I'm not sure I fully comprehend."

"Boromir said that you told him that you were in some kind of accident before he found you," said Gandalf.

"This is true," I said.

"You are currently asleep, yet not asleep. You are here, yet you are not here. You are here with me now, but your true self and body rest in the realm you originally come from." He looked at me, but I just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Sauron knew that the Valar were trying to call you here to us. So he used what little of his power he has now to poison your body. Did you per chance feel any sort of pain before your accident?" I nodded. My back pain, I realized, only came up whenever I was reading the book. "The Valar, however, saved your life with that accident, and brought your consciousness to this plane. They gave you a new body to live in, but again, Sauron interfered and injured this new body of yours. To what extent, we can only guess.

"Now, the only way to save yourself and return to your world is to destroy Sauron."

"Oh, okay," I said cheerfully. "Is that all?"

"Is that all? Do you not understand the extent of his power?"

"To some degree, yeah, but I know how to destroy him," I replied, not really thinking.

"Do not reveal to me what you have planned," said Gandalf, stopping me as I opened my big mouth to tell him how. "I am glad that you plan to assist us in the war that is coming. The war that is already upon us."

I let out a sigh. "Yeah, well, I have just as much at stake as you guys."

I heard my stomach grumble thoroughly ruining the moment. I clutched it as if that would silence it. Gandalf merely laughed it off.

"Let us get ready for dinner," he said with a laugh. Just as he said this, my maid came in. A beautiful smile on her angelic face.

"May I help you get ready, my lady?" she asked.

"Well, I'll shall be off," said Gandalf as he left my room.

"Come," said the maid, "I will get the bath ready."

A bath before dinner? I had never done that before. Of course, being a college student with so many work hours meant living off cheerios and ramen, so it was only natural to be a little strange to me. As soon as it was ready, I was dunked in, washed, rinsed, and the pulled out. The maid, whose name I never learned, got me all primped up and dressed in a lovely white gown trimmed with silver. It was too pretty, and it didn't belong on me.

"Nonsense!" she said when I voiced my opinion. "You look stunning." Then I asked why I had to dress up. "It's only polite to dress formally when you are in someone else's house hold for dinner. Is that not custom in your world?"

She said it as if I was a crazy person claiming I was from another world. It quite offended me. "Is your name, by any chance, Amanda?" I asked sarcastically. She didn't answer. Instead, she shoved me down the hall to the dinning room. When I entered the room, there were a lot of double takes. I was pretty tall, five feet ten inches. Not as tall as Boromir, but still pretty tall for a woman, and with my almost white hair, I probably looked like a really ugly elf (which was still pretty nice for human standards). I took my seat and looked around for any women that might be present.

I only saw one, and she sat near the head of the table. She was drop dead gorgeous, and I could only guess that she was Arwen, Elrond's daughter. She was wearing a beautiful red wine dress. She was so beautiful. It made me jealous, and I wasn't the type to get jealous over someone else's looks. I ate healthy, and took care of my medical problems, so I had nothing to be jealous of about anyone. However, Arwen was more beautiful than any super star or model I had seen in my world. Her dark hair reached her mid back framing her face beautifully. Her eyes were like two crystals in tide pools at the beach. I could now see why Aragorn would be smitten with her. Of course, if she was this pretty, imagine how gorgeous Luthien must have been. Yeah, I wish I had seen that.

I tried to look for a man who would probably look a little older than Boromir. That would be Aragorn, but I didn't see any man sitting next to her. I saw two elves, male, sitting next to her that looked oddly alike.

_Must be the twins._ Across from her was Gandalf and five short people, Hobbits. I couldn't tell who was whom cause they didn't exactly look like their movie counterparts. I did not see Aragorn. I really liked Aragorn in the movie, and I really hoped he was like that here, so I wanted to meet him. If only I could fine him.

"My lady," said someone softly. I felt a soft touch on my shoulder and turned to look at a very handsome masculine face. I nearly gasped. He looked exactly like Viggo. I was shocked. "Could you pass me the seasoning?"

"Uh sure," I said stupidly, handing him what he asked for. "Who are you?" Although I already knew.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," he replied, smiling. "Some call me Strider. What is your name? You look very much like an elf, especially in that dress, yet I can tell you are human."

"My name is Evelyn," I said shyly. He didn't look a day over thirty, so he was pretty good looking.

"A lovely name," he said. I blushed slightly. Then I realized that he was not sitting by Arwen. I figured they would be clinging to each other (like they had been in the movie).

"Not as pretty as Arwen," I said, looking over at her enviously.

"Indeed she is very beautiful," said Aragorn casually. Very casually... too casually.

"Do you like her?" I asked. He looked at me strangely. "Uh... do you feel attracted to her?"

"A little, but I am but a ranger, and that life is no life for an elven princess," he said. Ah ha! So this was the Aragorn from the movie!

"You do not intend to take the throne of Gondor?" I asked.

"Who told you of my heritage?"

"No one, I already knew."

He stared at me for a long moment. "No," he said finally. "I do not plan to take the throne. I do not want that power. I never have."

"Ah," I replied. I looked around and spotted Boromir who caught my glance and smiled. I smiled back. When dinner was done, everyone was escorted to the Hall of Fire. There was singing and dancing. I remained in the back, not really wanting to participate when I was joined by both Boromir and Aragorn.

"You looked a little lonely so we thought we might join you," said Boromir with a laugh and a sip of wine. Aragorn smiled at me, but it was a sad grim smile.

"Thanks guys," I said. I was handed a cup of wine of my own. I took a sip and realized how strong it was. So strong that I was pretty drunk when I finished the one freaking cup, and I can hold my liquor. This was elven wine, though. It's like putting fifteen shots of tequila in one cup of already alcoholic wine. It's powerful stuff.

I don't remember much about it. I do remember climbing into Aragorn's lap, and pretty much tried to seduce him... and that's putting it nicely. Yeah, when I'm drunk, I get horny. Like really bad. Luckily, Aragorn was a gentleman and took me to my room, which I, apparently, tried to take advantage of. He kindly refused all of my advances, which, heh, weren't really attractive... Ah, I'm so embarrassed!

I passed out on my bed fully clothed with Aragorn watching over me. He probably left as soon as I was out. Not that I blame him. Hell, if something like that were to happen to me, I would have been long gone. He knew, however, not to leave me alone as intoxicated as I was.

Good thing there are no cars in Middle Earth.

That night, I had a dream. Everything was dark, and very cold. I could hear something in the distance, and as it got steadily louder, I realized that it was the sound of a heart monitor. I was in a hospital room. Slowly, I could make out the sound of someone crying. I heard someone speak, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I wanted to shout, ask them what they were talking about, but I couldn't speak. My mouth wouldn't move, and the darkness wouldn't go away. I couldn't even twitch.

I woke up with a start the next morning in a cold sweat. After checking my surroundings, wondering where the hell I was, I sighed with relief and got dressed into a nice green dress and walked out of my room just as Aragorn was approaching. He smiled when he saw that I was already up. I remembered some of the events that had occurred the previous night. I remembered sitting on his lap, and not like a lady should be. I think my face was so red at that moment, I was sure I would turn into a tomato.

Before I go any further, I do not get hangovers. I have no idea. I think the doctor explained it once, but I don't remember. Yeah, I could get so drunk that I can't even walk, and be fine the next morning. What's even weirder about that is I'm albino. I've had plenty of medical problems in the past, but I can handle alcohol just fine. Doctor's called me a walking contradiction.

Just when Aragorn opened his mouth to speak, I bowed low. "I'm so sorry! The drink was stronger than I thought!" I shouted. "I tend to get like that when I'm drunk!"

He stared at me with a perplexed expression before he gave an amused chuckle. "I accept your apology," he said. "Though I wasn't the only one you tried to bed last night."

"Oh my god," I said, my eyes widening. "Who else? Please tell me."

"You did try to get Boromir, and, though he was a little bit more inebriated than I was, he was still a gentleman, and refused."

"I need to apologize to him!" I cried about to dash off looking for him. Aragorn stopped me.

"You can apologize after the meeting," he said. "You have been asked to attend. I came by to tell you that I would be honored if you sat beside me."

I was stunned for a moment. _Is he hitting on me in an old fashion sort of way?_ "Uh... yeah, I would love to sit by you," I replied with a small smile. He seemed pleased, and offered me his arm. Surprised, I took it. Maybe he was just being polite? Yeah, that was probably it.

Get your hopes up, get your heart broke. That's usually how it worked. We passed by a window that was facing east, and I had to stop and look. I looked out to the mountains, which I knew were the Misty Mountains. They had snow capped peaks, and their beauty and majesty were unlike anything I had ever seen. The valley was covered in yellow, red, orange and gold. The air was getting colder, but I was glad for the cold for once. The sun was shining through the silver mists, giving light to the world as it rose from it's bed.

We sat outside with the rest of the Council. I sat down beside Aragorn, as I said I would. I looked over at Boromir. He glared at Aragorn before smiling at me. Yes, very confused was I.

That's why I'm thinking like Yoda. Maybe I should start talking like that just to throw everyone off. Wouldn't that be hilarious?

First were introductions. Elrond went around the room, giving out names: Frodo and Bilbo Baggins; Gandalf; Erestor; Galdor; Glorfindel; Legolas; Glóin; Gimli; Boromir; Aragorn.

"This is Evelyn," said Elrond, motioning to me. "She is a young woman from another world. She has just as much at stake as we do."

"I don't know about that," I interjected. "My life just hangs in the balance. My world will remain untouched by Sauron's darkness. I'm pretty sure."

"We do not know that for sure," he said. "He was able to reach out and harm you without his real power. There is a chance that he could do harm to others as well." With that I was silenced. I hadn't thought about that.

A dwarf, Glóin, told what had been occurring at the Lonely Mountain, with the messenger from Mordor. Boromir told of the attack on Gondor, and of his and his brother's dream. Bilbo started telling how he had come by the ring. Frodo told how he had arrived to Rivendell. Gandalf told his story, specifically to Frodo, about why he was late to meet up with them.

"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," said Elrond. As soon as Frodo had placed on the pedestal, a murmur broke out among the Council. I was quiet for awhile. I wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe I expected to hear some sort of whispering, or feel some cold pressure on my heart? But I felt nothing. I heard nothing. It looked like a normal gold band to me.

"You all have only one choice," said Elrond. "The Ring must be destroyed."

Gimli stood up and grabbed his axe. "Then what are we waiting for?" He slammed his axe down as hard as he could on the ring. The axe smashed to bits, and the ring held no dent in it.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess," said Elrond. "It must be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

There was silence for a moment, while I just continued to stare at the ring. Waiting for something to happen. "One does not simply walk into Mordor," said Boromir. "The Black Gate is guarded by more the just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever watchful. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" asked Legolas standing up. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you thin you're the one to do it!" shouted Gimli. Boromir rose from his seat.

"And if we fail, what then?" he cried. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" shouted Gimli. Everyone save for Frodo and myself were on their feet. I suddenly looked at him, and his gaze found mine. Everything seemed to fade out save for Frodo and the Ring, but our eyes remained locked on each other. I suddenly asked, and I'm not sure if I said it aloud.

_Will you take the ring?_

I saw a look in Frodo's eyes. The answer from Frodo was no, he really did not want to take the ring. I let my mind wander through the movies I saw, and the books I had read. I remembered the pain and the hardships Frodo would have to go through to get to Mordor, and the frightened and pained expressions Elijah had expressed as he had played the role, and that was probably not even half what the real pain felt like.

If I could save him, this very small person, from that pain, that burden, I would do it and gladly, no matter how painful it would be. My decision was final. I didn't even feel my mouth move.

"I will take it!"

* * *

**Bring it on, flamers! Let me hear you roar! I'm tired of tenth walkers. No one takes the ring and creates a whole other story or something. It's always a tenth walker (or something). Of course, I'm never going to create anything as epic as the original, but I'm here for entertainment, not live up to expectations (or something). Lol! For the love of Pete! I even made fun of myself!**

**Leave a review. Flame the crap out of it. I don't care. Just say something. DX**


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